How movies are made will affect the format of the home-video and video rentals. VHS had petered out by the mid-2000s with the introduction of the DVD. The DVD format had a higher resolution and better sound quality than VHS, but it was expensive to remaster films for the new format This issue has repeated itself with the existence of Blu-ray discs -- most classic films aren’t available on Blu-ray because of the digital and photochemical process it takes to change formats. But more and more companies are switching to streaming.

Steven Soderbergh has a catalogue of great movies, including “Traffic” (2000), “Erin Brockovich” (2000), “Ocean’s 11” (2001) and “The Informant!” (2009). Now, he can add “Contagion” to that list.  The film takes a multi-pronged look at the spread of a virus that kills within days and leaves international healthcare professionals baffled. 

“Midnight in Paris” scored multiple nominations for the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and the accolades are well-deserved. Written and directed by Woody Allen, the film is a slice of nostalgia that’s both a love letter to Paris and a reminder that there’s no time like the present.  

Film lovers have seen plenty of body-swap comedies over the years, but “The Change-Up” offers a fresh and irreverent take on the genre. The action revolves around the relationship between Dave Lockwood (Jason Bateman) and Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds), childhood pals with drastically different approaches to adult life. 

The only major theatrical release making its way to home video this week is a big-budget action film from director Michael Bay.  It’s no secret that Bay is Hollywood’s go-to guy for loud, violent, special effects-laden blockbusters, so it should come as little surprise that his third entry in the “Transformers” franchise is exactly that.